The subject matter herein relates generally to optical devices having exposed lenses.
Optical communication may have advantages over electrical communication in certain applications. Increasingly, both large communication systems and small devices, such as consumer devices, are using optical pathways to transmit data signals through the system or device. The optical pathways may include optical fibers, lenses, and/or other material that permits light to propagate therethrough. When two optical devices are mated, the optical components (e.g., lenses or fibers) are aligned with each other so that light emitting from one component is received by the other component.
At least some known optical devices include a ferrule body that optically connects a number of optical fibers to corresponding lenses of a lens array. For example, the ferrule body may include a plurality of channels that each receive and orient a corresponding optical fiber so that the optical fiber is aligned with a corresponding lens of the lens array. The ferrule body may then be positioned adjacent to another optical device. For instance, each lens of the ferrule body may be aligned with another lens and/or optical fiber of the other optical device. Optical devices may be mated with each other in various manners. For some types of optical devices, the lenses face in the direction of insertion. For example, the lenses may be positioned along a side face of a pluggable optical device. In other types of optical devices, however, the lenses may face in a direction that is perpendicular to the insertion direction or perpendicular to the optical fibers.
One challenge that is often confronted by optical devices is that dust or other debris may exist along the lenses and negatively affect optical transmission. The debris is typically removed using a separate cleaning mechanism. For example, prior to mating the optical devices, a technician may clean each lens array using a tool. Such a cleaning process may be time-consuming and/or labor-intensive and, consequently, expensive.
Accordingly a need exists for alternative mechanisms or methods of cleaning one or more optical surfaces of an optical connector.